Minimally Invasive Bunion Surgery

What is a Bunion?

While a bunion (or hallux valgus) is characterized by a hard bump on the side of your big toe, you may be surprised to learn that it is actually a deformity that begins as an unstable joint at the base of the toe. The lower joint (the metatarsophalangeal or MTP joint) rotates out of alignment, causing your big toe to lean in and crowd your other toes while the joint at the side of the big toe juts outward to form a bunion. What causes bunions? Genetics related to foot shape and injuries to the foot or arthritis may play a role. Because women are more susceptible to developing bunions, it was thought that high heels could be a culprit, but it is more likely that unnaturally sloped heels or ill-fitting footwear only aggravate the underlying condition.


You may have symptoms of redness, pain, stif ness, or numbness that gradually progress over time. The pain may prevent you from completing your daily activities, or may limit your footwear options. If this is characteristic of your foot, it may be time to ask Dr du Sart about minimally invasive surgery to treat your bunion.


What is Minimally Invasive Surgery?

1

Minimally invasive surgery is performed through small incisions in the skin.

2

During an operation, your doctor will cut and shift the lower bone in your big toe over to improve the alignment of your lower joint (the metatarsophalangeal or MTP joint).

3

The correction is held in place with zero-profile screws to reduce the amount that you feel the hardware.

4

Minimally invasive surgery allows overall cosmetic and mechanical improvement of your foot, while maintaining or even improving range of motion at your big toe joint.

What Should I Expect After Surgery?

You should keep the area bandaged for 1to 2 weeks. Some people will need to keep weight of the toe area immediately after surgery while others may partially bear weight. You will need to wear a stiff soled shoe (darco shoe) to protect your foot. By 4 to 6 weeks you may be able to transition to stiff -soled shoes. Expect to resume light exercise like jogging, biking, or swimming at 8 to 10 weeks if there is no pain and X-rays show full bone healing.


Full return to normal activities and normal shoe wear (including high heels) at 12 to 16 weeks.

 

Please be aware that surgery and recovery protocol may vary and any questions pertaining to the surgical procedure or postoperative protocol should be discussed with Dr du Sart.


Why Minimally Invasive Bunion Surgery?

Traditional bunion surgery requires large incisions, while minimally invasive bunion surgery is performed through very small skin incisions. Following minimally invasive surgery, you may experience less pain, a faster recovery, and less visible scarring,1,2 with a more cosmetically appealing result than you would following traditional surgery.

Traditional Bunion Surgery MIS Bunion Surgery
Less Soft-Tissue Damage ✘ ✔
Less Pain ✘ ✔
Faster Recovery ✘ ✔
Less Visible Scarring ✘ ✔
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